Airline question?

[babesboo99]

We always drive but we are thinking of flying this Fall but i cant find any decent fares. Where does everybody go, what site or airline do you book and how many bags can be checked?

 

[StageTek]

Where does everybody go, what site or airline do you book and how many bags can be checked?

I always go directly to the airlines website.

I book either JetBlue or Delta.

For a fee you can check as many bags as you need.

 

[babesboo99]

I always go directly to the airlines website.

I book either JetBlue or Delta.

For a fee you can check as many bags as you need.

Thank you

 

[AngiTN]

I start with Google Flights to get an idea for prices for all but Southwest. I can also set it up to watch for price trends. Kayak or Hopper also do this. Doesn't hurt to use all 3 to track prices
You must go to Southwest's website for their prices.
I always book directly with the carrier, no one else, ever. Under any circumstances. Even to save money.
I have credit cards with Delta and American so I get 1 bag checked free for me and any traveling with me
Southwest gives all passengers 2 checked bags free
I always use our checked bag allowances. I don't like to skimp on packing.
Also, in case you aren't aware, you can book 1 way, or round trip, doesn't matter. You are not penalized for booking one way.
Our trip in June is 1 way on American and 1 way on Delta. It was cheaper than round trip on either of the airlines.
This is where something like Google Flights can help

 

[sponica]

I start with Southwest because they fly nonstop out the airport that's closest to me (means I don't have to pay for parking as I can get picked up/dropped off) or we look at how many points my husband has on American. We get free checked luggage because he's a cardholder, and we've been upgraded to first class on some legs which increases the bag allowance. Downside is American has no non stops in either the airport close to us or the larger international airport...

 

[Elizakapeka]

I love southwest, 2 free checked bags, no fees to change flights(except the price difference), there are many ways to earn miles,(flights, credit card, rapid reward shopping site) if you book on miles and cancel your miles just get deposited back to your account and if you cancel you get a credit for the airline good for 1 year from date of booking. They are always the most reasonable priced for us from chicago. I dont fly often but got the credit card a few years ago, booked family of 5 round trip easter for about $30.00.

 

[MillauFr]

Always book directly with the airlines. You can check prices with any site you want. We get the Alaska Airline Visa so we get free bags.

 

[FCDub]

Where are you flying from?

 

[AngiTN]

I start with Southwest because they fly nonstop out the airport that's closest to me (means I don't have to pay for parking as I can get picked up/dropped off) or we look at how many points my husband has on American. We get free checked luggage because he's a cardholder, and we've been upgraded to first class on some legs which increases the bag allowance. Downside is American has no non stops in either the airport close to us or the larger international airport...

I love southwest, 2 free checked bags, no fees to change flights(except the price difference), there are many ways to earn miles,(flights, credit card, rapid reward shopping site) if you book on miles and cancel your miles just get deposited back to your account and if you cancel you get a credit for the airline good for 1 year from date of booking. They are always the most reasonable priced for us from chicago. I dont fly often but got the credit card a few years ago, booked family of 5 round trip easter for about $30.00.

These bring up something else, airports in your area are something else to consider.
How many are there?
Sizes?
When you price airfare at a distant airport make sure you consider would you have to add in hotel costs and/or any other travel expenses to get there. Or parking fees
Sometimes a cheaper airfare such as Southwest can end up not being cheaper once you add in the added travel costs to get to one of the airports they service, if it's not your local airport.

Though make sure you are locked into your dates if you aren't going with Southwest.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I like Southwest.
2 checked luggage per person at no additional charge. (I only check one bag).
The last couple years my average has been $220 RT per person from BUF.

 

[babesboo99]

I start with Google Flights to get an idea for prices for all but Southwest. I can also set it up to watch for price trends. Kayak or Hopper also do this. Doesn't hurt to use all 3 to track prices
You must go to Southwest's website for their prices.
I always book directly with the carrier, no one else, ever. Under any circumstances. Even to save money.
I have credit cards with Delta and American so I get 1 bag checked free for me and any traveling with me
Southwest gives all passengers 2 checked bags free
I always use our checked bag allowances. I don't like to skimp on packing.
Also, in case you aren't aware, you can book 1 way, or round trip, doesn't matter. You are not penalized for booking one way.
Our trip in June is 1 way on American and 1 way on Delta. It was cheaper than round trip on either of the airlines.
This is where something like Google Flights can help

Didnt know you can book one way and have another one way back never thhought about that. Thank you im gonna check that out as well. Its good to know southwest guves 2 bags per person

 

[babesboo99]

These bring up something else, airports in your area are something else to consider.
How many are there?
Sizes?
When you price airfare at a distant airport make sure you consider would you have to add in hotel costs and/or any other travel expenses to get there. Or parking fees
Sometimes a cheaper airfare such as Southwest can end up not being cheaper once you add in the added travel costs to get to one of the airports they service, if it's not your local airport.

Though make sure you are locked into your dates if you aren't going with Southwest.

We are goingnin the Fall andnwe live near Albany so we qould leave out of there or Syracuse or even newark airport

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

We are goingnin the Fall andnwe live near Albany so we qould leave out of there or Syracuse or even newark airport

Definitely look into flights out of Albany if that is closest to you.
I know for sure Southwest has flights out of there.
It doesn't make much sense to me to drive 2.5 hours to get to another airport.

 

[jec6613]

It doesn't make much sense to me to drive 2.5 hours to get to another airport.

I live about 15 minutes from my closest airport, which only has turboprop service to PHL. Then 2 medium sized airports at 60 minutes away with limited schedules, then 1.5-2 hours to LGA and 2-2.5 hours to JFK. For longer flights, I'd rather drive the extra bit and take a direct out of JFK. It just makes sense instead of connecting, and the number and timing of flights is much better.

I always go directly to the airline sites, and I know which airlines fly out of which airports. Since I have AA status I book with them unless the price or timing is completely terrible, and their site will also search for AS flights domestically, as well as a number of overseas carriers. It usually takes me about 15-20 minutes to hit all of the combinations with a few browser tabs open - though I just set up a complicated itinerary that took me about 10 hours to research, a connected leg flight that's not bookable as a single itinerary going to JNB via GRU using miles.

If you visit an aggregator site like Travelocity or similar, the airline sites will detect the cookie and some will increase prices - so don't do this except using InPrivate browsing. Also, the SABRE system at the heart of AA and anybody who codeshares on OneWorld does not pull into any of them properly, including Google Flights. Delta and United also will cross-book onto their alliance partners, so a single search can show everything at once, which is good to know about.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I live about 15 minutes from my closest airport, which only has turboprop service to PHL. Then 2 medium sized airports at 60 minutes away with limited schedules, then 1.5-2 hours to LGA and 2-2.5 hours to JFK. For longer flights, I'd rather drive the extra bit and take a direct out of JFK. It just makes sense instead of connecting, and the number and timing of flights is much better.

I always go directly to the airline sites, and I know which airlines fly out of which airports. Since I have AA status I book with them unless the price or timing is completely terrible, and their site will also search for AS flights domestically, as well as a number of overseas carriers. It usually takes me about 15-20 minutes to hit all of the combinations with a few browser tabs open - though I just set up a complicated itinerary that took me about 10 hours to research, a connected leg flight that's not bookable as a single itinerary going to JNB via GRU using miles.

If you visit an aggregator site like Travelocity or similar, the airline sites will detect the cookie and some will increase prices - so don't do this except using InPrivate browsing. Also, the SABRE system at the heart of AA and anybody who codeshares on OneWorld does not pull into any of them properly, including Google Flights. Delta and United also will cross-book onto their alliance partners, so a single search can show everything at once, which is good to know about.

Ok I guess that is your situation and works for you but I live 35 minutes from an international airport and would never consider driving hours away to get the same service.
And a part of my post that you didn't quote was that the Albany airport does offer flights with my preferred airline that I had suggested to the OP.

 

[jec6613]

Ok I guess that is your situation and works for you but I live 35 minutes from an international airport and would never consider driving hours away to get the same service.
And a part of my post that you didn't quote was that the Albany airport does offer flights with my preferred airline that I had suggested to the OP.

When I lived closer to LGA and JFK (60-90 minutes respectively), I pretty much used them exclusively, and only occasionally the closer lesser service airport. It depends on where you live and your tolerance for connecting flights and schedule interruptions.

Going out of ALB in the fall I would definitely consider driving to EWR, or taking Amtrak down to NYP and then the shuttle to EWR, with UA even interlining to Amtrak on a single itinerary. The three airports that make up NYC have better weather handling in terms of keeping runways clear, and more frequent flights, so you're much less likely to end up stranded due to weather, and also more aircraft available limiting mechanical interruptions. Also, while all of the airports are ILS, NYC airports have a cleaner localizer signal path so aircraft can land in worse weather than at ALB, while ALB sees significantly worse weather than NYC.

If I'm not schedule constrained, I'll fly out of all sorts of places, but for Disney or other tight schedules I drive the distance to get to the better airports.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

When I lived closer to LGA and JFK (60-90 minutes respectively), I pretty much used them exclusively, and only occasionally the closer lesser service airport. It depends on where you live and your tolerance for connecting flights and schedule interruptions.

Going out of ALB in the fall I would definitely consider driving to EWR, or taking Amtrak down to NYP and then the shuttle to EWR, with UA even interlining to Amtrak on a single itinerary. The three airports that make up NYC have better weather handling in terms of keeping runways clear, and more frequent flights, so you're much less likely to end up stranded due to weather, and also more aircraft available limiting mechanical interruptions. Also, while all of the airports are ILS, NYC airports have a cleaner localizer signal path so aircraft can land in worse weather than at ALB, while ALB sees significantly worse weather than NYC.

If I'm not schedule constrained, I'll fly out of all sorts of places, but for Disney or other tight schedules I drive the distance to get to the better airports.

Again... so it works for you.
I would never go through all that extra hassle.
My home airport is BUF... we have plenty of bad weather and yet I've never had a delayed or cancelled flight due to it.
You can have your own opinions and I can have mine.

 

[jec6613]

Again... so it works for you.
I would never go through all that extra hassle.
My home airport is BUF... we have plenty of bad weather and yet I've never had a delayed or cancelled flight due to it.
You can have your own opinions and I can have mine.

You're comparing apples to oranges, as BUF airport is a very different story than ALB - it's over 4x larger than ALB for commercial passenger traffic (I'm referencing passenger numbers for size), and does deal with weather well, and doesn't have a nearby big airport, with ROC being half the size of BUF. If I lived in or near the city with the only NY football team, I'd take BUF only as well.

ALB is really a regional airport at best and a very different situation than BUF. The Amtrak station at Albany-Rensselaer handles 70% of passengers as the airport, for instance, and is over 8x busier than all of the Buffalo Amtrak stations combined. EWR is about ten times the size of BUF and forty times the size of ALB, and NYC is about one hundred and twenty times the size of ALB. Or another size comparison: tiny Syracuse airport is 2x the size of ALB.

One other airport for the OP to look into is HPN, which is about 90 minutes away, somewhat bigger than ALB, with better weather. Not great for WDW but a good one to keep in mind in general.

 

[cruisin5]

When I lived closer to LGA and JFK (60-90 minutes respectively), I pretty much used them exclusively, and only occasionally the closer lesser service airport. It depends on where you live and your tolerance for connecting flights and schedule interruptions.

Going out of ALB in the fall I would definitely consider driving to EWR, or taking Amtrak down to NYP and then the shuttle to EWR, with UA even interlining to Amtrak on a single itinerary. The three airports that make up NYC have better weather handling in terms of keeping runways clear, and more frequent flights, so you're much less likely to end up stranded due to weather, and also more aircraft available limiting mechanical interruptions. Also, while all of the airports are ILS, NYC airports have a cleaner localizer signal path so aircraft can land in worse weather than at ALB, while ALB sees significantly worse weather than NYC.

If I'm not schedule constrained, I'll fly out of all sorts of places, but for Disney or other tight schedules I drive the distance to get to the better airports.[/QUOTE

Round-trip Amtrak from Alb-NYP starts at $90 per person round-trip. Add $26 for NYP-EWR. Fares from EWR to MCO usually aren't that much less expensive to make up that difference, especially considering the extra 4-5 hours of travel time.

Parking at EWR isn't anywhere as convenient at ALB. Even just driving to EWR is not for the faint of heart unless you are used to it.

I had no idea Syracuse's airport is that large! Interesting about the localizer signal path ... (Thank you!)

 

[writerguyfl]

Also, in case you aren't aware, you can book 1 way, or round trip, doesn't matter. You are not penalized for booking one way.

Our trip in June is 1 way on American and 1 way on Delta. It was cheaper than round trip on either of the airlines.

Didnt know you can book one way and have another one way back never thhought about that.

The only caveat is that if you book two different airlines and end up changing the dates of your trip, you'll have to pay two different change fees.

That said, I'd bet that most people booking Disney World vacations aren't going to change dates. As long as your dates are fairly firm, I highly recommend doing what AngiTN suggests by checking one-way prices across all airlines. It can be a great way to save money.